Electronic Chart Data for Chartplotters

Thirteen distributors offer electronic navigational charts for chartplotters to the leisure fleet, based on chart data from the Norwegian Mapping Authority, Hydrographic Service.

SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA: Updated navigational charts is an important contribution for safety of life at sea. Photo: Adobestock

Distributors who use chart data from the Norwegian Mapping Authority, Hydrographic Service in their software, must enter an agreement. The agreement requires distributors of Norwegian electronic navigational chart data to download updated chart data at least once a month. In addition, these updates must be made available to the end users, free of charge or by the distributor's payment scheme.

Norwegian electronic chart data to chartplotters

The table shows an overview of distributors offering Norwegian electronic charts based on chart data from the Norwegian Mapping Authority, Hydrographic Service (NMA-HS).

Distributors offering updates twice a month, are allowed to promote their electronic charts with an acknowledgement that approves the charts as compliant to the Norwegian Mapping Authority, Hydrographic Service's (NMA-HS) standards for processing chart updates: "The chart content in this product is updated according to NMA-HS standards."

ENC vs. chartplotter

Producers of electronical navigational charts for chartplotters can get access to chart data from the Norwegian Mapping Authority, to be used in their software. These chart solutions are not authorised navigational charts.

There is a difference between official electronical navigational charts (ENC) used in an ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information System) and electronical charts used in chart plotters. Carriage of up-to-date official charts (ENC) is an obligation for the regulatory (SOLAS) shipping. Only ENCs fulfil these carriage requirements.